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Show COSTLY HOSPJTALlTr. " ' ' THE MAN WHO WAS .ENTERTAINED FREE OF CHARCE. (ha I'oor rllow Kail to Dlir I'utittoea anil Accept tbo Attention of tho lloat'a Uaugbter. I had been sent out as n newspaper oiTga pontic nt and was riding a loan PHHBHMBBkCy, when one IHHiuiii WflfiJPPkJpispMiliai seonifil' to cllnTwIth a sort of too-null hold to Iho stcxp sldo ot n hill. Almost a day bad passed slnco I had seen a human habitation. The country had the op-pearanco op-pearanco of dangerous vrlldncss, and as i fearful ulgut threatened to cotno up put of tho dismal valley far below I derided de-rided to plead for tho prlvilcgo of helping help-ing tbo old house cling to tho hillside. Approaching nearer aud coming to a imall, Ulnty Inclosuro where a number it hogs, so pour that they appeared to jxlst only iu outlines, nero prcicntlug t squealing petition for something to eat, I saw u tall, gaunt aud grizzly-bearded grizzly-bearded man standlug with bis bare arms resting on tbo top rail of the fence. "How aro you?'' I atked. "Wall," he answered, Biirvovlng me i moment and then scratching liis chin. "I wuzwuzz oil Jest after I had been make bit limn 1 mn now; an' agin I wuz bottcr oil just after shootlu' a feller that trilled with tho nffectlons of ray family lhau I am at present writlu'. How Is it wllhyourse'fT" I replied that my health was excellent, excel-lent, but that I was unfortunate In bstng compelled to travel during such weather; nnd, I added, "you can do mo n grent favor by letting me stay over night at your house." "Wall, It hain't my habit to tako In straugora but If you will protnlac mo ono thing you may light an put your nag In tho stable." "All right, name tho promise." "Oh, wall, It's Jest this: You must not ask me how much I charge an you mustn't offer mo no psy." "Your conditlous arc not only eaay but generous,' said I dismounting "and I shall bo grateful for your kindness." 'That's all rlghl.fur I'm a man among men. Jest lead yo' boss crouud thlaer way, pleaso." When the horse bad been cared for we went Into the bouse, a tumblo.down, affair, and sat down to await tbo com-lug, com-lug, as my host expressed It, of "Mur anil 8!s." 1 took uo particular notice of Slur when sho and bis came. It was 61s that took my eye. Blio mint hnvo beeu six feet tall. Tbo smoke from the chimney bad mads her eyes bleary, and the long green tobacco that sho constantly constant-ly chowed had drawn her mouth to ono sldo, She woro an old boot and abrogau shoe, also a sort of blouto made of cotton cot-ton bagging. When wo cheerfully sot down to supper, sup-per, or rather when ws had gathered about n board on which there wero placed corn bread and a dish pan holding hold-ing a mlnlaturo sea of grcmo which floated a fleet of bacon barges, the host said: (f'SIs Is the greatest gal lu all this country, ain't you, 81st' ".Now, pap, whut do you wantcr talk luster way, fur? sbt replied, sticking a a creat finger In her crooked mouth, "You know I ain't never did nutbln'." "Ob, yes you have, 61s. Didn't you lHsH p vSJHaa Vetch Lem SswyeV by the back of "tho neck and the looiencss of tbo britches an' fling blm through the wlnder.thart" "I done t)iat,pap,but that wan't much to do.' -."Wa. I calls It a good deal fur a, younc an' delicate crittor. 'W'y 1 know wlmmln that couldn't hold a cat. Look at her tlmr, stranger. Look at her p'lnts. Don't you think she's Immense, as the feller 'lowed?" I certainly thought she was Immense and I told my host that I heartily agreed with blm, at which he appeared to ba delighted. A heavy rain fell during tbo nlirht and the next morning my bust Informed mo that tbo creek down in the valloy bad been swolled to such an extent that to cross It would bo impossible. "You must stay right hero with us. It ain't costlu you a conl, you understand." I decided to remain until tbo creek should run lower. Shortly after breakfast break-fast the "landlord" came to ma and said: "Now, as yo' board ain't cost-In' cost-In' you nutbln' an' as you peer to bo a commcrdatln' feller, would you mind goln' right up thar on the hill with Sis an helpln' her dig tho potatoes? I am i monstrous anxious to git 'cm dug today." to-day." As ho bad been so kind as bo had glvon mo shelter without chareo I could not refuse, so accompanying Sis I went up Iho hillside. "I bet I kin dig faster than you," she iald,ns she stuck her ten-pound hoe Into the ground. "I shouldn't be surprised. I am not tnticn ot a aigger. Sho kept cioio beside mo and talked :oiselcssly of love. "Kf the right sort ot a man wuz to love right hard do you want to know whut Id do?"' sho tsked. "What would you do?' "I'd call blm lnsics all tbo time. Wouldn't that bo sweet? "Yes, rather." "Whut would you do cf a woman loved you right hnrd?' "I (fon't know." "You'd call her Mosses, wouldn't you?" "I might." "Wall, Is I 'lasses?1 i'l suppose so,' I answerod with a do-lire do-lire to pay her a compliment. SUo smiled "" LV,AN!.S-(I OVKIV THK KENCR "upon mc, nnd then hastily stepping to 3no side she seized a bog that had got Into the potato patch aud tossed him over the feuce. Just then tho dinner horu blow. 1 bad no appetite. Tbo girl after stripping the ment off tho wish-bone of a "b'iled rooster," held up the horse-sboo-looUIng thing and told mo to pull. I pulled and Sis jumped up and left tho lablo, but soon returned and took her plnco beside mo. After dinner my host old that as tho creek had notgone down I would greatly obllgo him by continuing to help Sis dig potntoca. "I would cotno up an' dig too, ho added, "but I bav a power of llddlln' about to do." I wanted to risk tbo creek and told him so. but ho would not hear to it. "W'y bless yo' life, you'd git drowndod sho. To-morror morula" will bo time euougb. au' in thu mcnntlme you will be dolu' of mo a great favor by bolpln Kit the potatoes In. Itlcollock that I Jon't charge, you nothln' fur stayin' bore, an beln n upright man vou 3u;h,ter return ono favor fur another." I was asleop by tbo lime I touched the bed that night, nnd having heon too tired to think Just before lying down, I dreamed of what a fool I had been In accoptinif any terms offered by the old man. On tho following day I announced an-nounced my flrmly-flxed intantlon of leaving; The old man professed great astonishment. "What, trifle with tho affections of my family an' then leave us lu the lurch.'1 - ' I could only gnsp in astonishment. "W'y, you promised to marry Sis," said he. This stoRucrpd rac. "Promised to oiarry her I" 1 exclaimed. ""icB, fur light out thnr In tho tater satch you 'lowed that you wanted her." map:? invs t," hi ",w "I did not. sir,' I yelled. "Didn't you? Wnll.I reckon you did. You 'lowed iho wuz 'lutses, an' ef tlml ain't axln' In this country nobody don't kuow whut Is; an' ngalu ou pulled with her tho other day pulled the wish-bone of tho old toosicr Hint you mom at one time hcaru cough a half a mile Au' don't you rlcoileck when she got ur frum the table? Wall, she put her piece of the bone up in tho fork of a saplln an' you walked under it an that put the law on you. Don't caper now, son, fui I don't want to hurt vou. An' anothei thing, my son, don't try to run awav an' leavo ua'atlcr trlflln' with our affections. af-fections. I've got a wholo host ot kin-foils kin-foils nigh here an' they will be mlght'ly pleasod to kuow that Sis.lhar.ls goln' to marry a feller that Is slch a hand to dig taters. I rcrkon you bottcr work along with mo to-day. I want to mark somr AFTER SUITER ClIATl bogs an then 1 want to dig stumps outeu the now ground. Let's cat a snack now an' go ahead fur I want to bump our selves to-day.' I saw Mm tuck a pistol Into his leans trousers boforo wo went to work. I saw moro than that. I saw that I should havo to run for my life. I know that argument would be without avail, so with shrewd strategy, I pretended to bo reconciled. What an awful day's work! I was almost dead when night came. I went to bed early and when the moon had risen I slipped downstairs. The old man wns snoring. I would soon bo free. The stable was not far away; I would soon bo on my horse. Shortly afterwards I stood in a cold perspiration. perspira-tion. Tho horso was gone. A dog bnrked. I ran down tho hill towards tho valloy through which flowed the creek that had caused all my trouble. Thq valley was there, but whero was tho creek? Tho old fellow had lied to mc. I (ravelled all ulght und until noon tbo next day before coming to a house. What a thrill I experienced when a railway rail-way station arose Into view. Whllo walking up aud down tho platform plat-form expecting overy moment to sco my host and his many klusnicn, I saw a man sitting on tho end ot a cross-tic. llo got up on seeing me, and advancing said: "lbet I'vo bad the boss experience of any fellow you over saw. I came round hero several days ago to sell fruit trees, but If I ever gef out allva I'll Join a church and devote the reiwof 'my life to charity. Tbo other day I stopped at a hillside housa way over yander, and the fellow wouldn't charge mo anything, but ho pretended that I couldn't get across tho creek and ho mndo mo work forhlra, and tho flrst thing I know ho aaid that I called his girl 'lasses and had to marry her. IIo got thrco days of mighty hard work out of mo but I reckon I better bo shoving en Into tho woods. I nm afraid he'll fJud mo here.' Oplt P. Head. |